including doping, the schedule of the track cycling progra

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The president of cyclings world governing body defended the Olympic road course on Saturday, calling it a fair test and suggesting those who crashed pushed past their limits.Brian Cookson addressed a number of issues during a wide-ranging news conference at the Rio de Janeiro Games at the midway point of the cycling program, including doping, the schedule of the track cycling program and several road racing issues.But perhaps the biggest hot-button issue through a week of competition was a road course that some had labeled too dangerous. One particularly nasty descent caused riders such as Italian star Vincenzo Nibali to go down and left Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten in the hospital.Weve had discussions about the number of crashes and the circumstances, Cookson said. It is my belief and our belief at the UCI that the courses were in the bounds of what was reasonable.Van Vleuten spent several days in the hospital with a concussion and three small fractures to her spine. She flew home to the Netherlands on Friday to continue her recovery.Its the riders responsibility to make the right decisions, Cookson said. I went to speak with Annemiek in the hospital and talked to her, and in her case, it was an error of judgment there.Cookson was also asked about the silver medal won by Olga Zabelinskaya in the time trial. It came just days after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled a ban on Russian athletes who had been barred from competing for prior doping offenses was unenforceable, allowing Zabelinskaya to compete.The Russian cyclist who finished second in the time trial was entitled to be here under the rules of the [World Anti-Doping Agency] and the IOC, Cookson said. Im guessing she will not be the only previously convicted doped athlete at the Games.Cookson has been working to clean up the sport after years of doping, including Lance Armstrongs admission of guilt a few years ago. He said the positive test of a Brazilian cyclist in an out-of-competition test the week before the road race was a sign of progress.Ive said this many times before, cycling has been leading for many years in the fight against doping in sport, Cookson said. Whether there is a small number of athletes trying to cheat, I hope not, but if they are, we will catch them and we will sanction them.In other issues:? Cookson said the UCI is still examining the blood bags from Operation Puerto, the Spanish police investigation into a doping ring led by Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes. Cookson otherwise declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, saying only that when we have something to report, we will.??The UCI is confident WorldTour teams will compete in the team time trial at the world championships in Qatar. Several teams announced plans to boycott the event, in part because they are required to compete at their own expense.??Cookson said he was open to smaller teams in major events such as the Tour de France, but he warned that I think some of the bigger teams would object to that, and there are pros and cons to the details of that. Its something I wouldnt rule, out but lets move forward gradually.??The UCI hopes to expand the cycling program at future Olympics, though Cookson did not say whether it would be merely an expansion of the track program or the addition of another discipline, such as downhill mountain biking or freestyle BMX competition. Wholesale China Jerseys . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Cheap China Jerseys ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. http://www.chinajerseys.pro/ . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. China NFL Jerseys . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Jerseys From China . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Miye Oni took a pass from Sam Downey and drilled a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left to break an 80-80 tie and propel Yale to an 89-81 overtime win against Lehigh on Thursday night.All five Yale starters scored in double figures, led by Alex Copelands 20 points. It was Copelands driving layup with 26 seconds left in regulation that tied the game at 73 and forced overtime. Downey added 17 points, Oni and Blake Reynolds had 13, and Anthony Dallier finished with 12 for the Bulldoggs (2-0).dddddddddddd.After Onis shot, Kyle Leufroy missed a jumper on the ensuing Lehigh possession. Two Copeland free throws 10 seconds later pushed the Yale lead to 85-80 and the Mountain Hawks (0-2) never got back to within one possession. Copeland scored the final six points for Yale.Tim Kempton led Lehigh with 30 points and 11 rebounds. Leufroy added 20 points. ' ' '